Connecting People: Peadar Gormley is the chief executive of MyPlace Connect, a company that offers free WiFi hotspots

The late poet Patrick Kavanagh is unlikely to have had wi-fi on his mind when he strolled around Baggot St and the Grand Canal in the 20th Century.

Yet, if you’re sitting on Kavanagh’s bench beside the Grand Canal today, you might just be able to pick up free wi-fi from a company set up by Tyrone man Peadar Gormley about four years ago.

Mr Gormley is the chief executive of MyPlace Connect, which offers free wi-fi in various spots around Ireland.

His company, which is based on Dublin’s Baggot St, launched its first wi-fi hotspot in 2011.

“Since 2011, we’ve gone from offering wi-fi in coffee shops and bars to restaurants and shopping malls,” said Mr Gormley.

The restaurants, bars and other venues that offer free wi-fi to their customers through MyPlace Connect use the technology as a marketing tool to generate revenue and customer loyalty, according to Gormley.

MyPlace Connect is also behind a pilot test for free street wi-fi in Dublin.

If you’re holidaying in New York or London any time soon, you might well be able to pick up its free wi-fi there.